La Cañada History: Elementary school building torn down to make way for 210 Freeway

Ten Years Ago

Officials at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital announced that six sets of twins had been born at the facility in July 2008, a record for such deliveries there. The hospital’s previous record of five sets of twins born in a single month had been set in 1988.

Twenty Years Ago

By a unanimous vote of the board of directors of the La Cañada Flintridge Community Center (originally known as the Youth House), the facility’s name was changed to the Roger Barkley Community Center in honor of the late Barkley, a noted radio personality and local philanthropist who died Dec. 21, 1997. In 2007, the center’s board again changed the name, to the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge.

Thirty Years Ago

After jumping out to a quick 7-0 lead, the La Cañada United Methodist Church softball team was able to hold off a late rally by First Baptist at La Crescenta and claim victory in the Crescenta-Cañada Church Softball League championship game held at La Cañada High School.

Forty Years Ago

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory selected four firms for negotiations of contracts to conduct Phase 1 studies and preliminary design work on an electric hybrid-powered car for the U.S. Department of Energy. The one-year, $350,000 study and design contracts were expected to lead to Phase 2 contracts for final design and construction of test vehicles.

Fifty Years Ago

Demolition of the historic La Cañada Elementary School, constructed in 1917, was proceeding swiftly in mid-August 1968, to clear the way for construction of the Foothill (210) Freeway. The main building sat on the site of today’s Memorial Park; the replacement school is immediately north of the park.

Sixty Years Ago

Leonard Tingey, chairman of the St. George’s Episcopal Mission board, announced a vicarage had been rented at 4812 La Cañada Blvd. to house the church’s priest and family.

Compiled from the Valley Sun archives by Carol Cormaci.